As Catholic Churches Close, Other Houses of Worship Thrive

August 14, 2005

Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/08/14/on_roads_less_traveled_spirituality_takes_flight/

On August 14, 2005 The Boston Globe reported, "At a time when headlines are dominated by the closing of Catholic churches, and community leaders are wondering about the toll that Sunday morning athletic contests are taking on religion, [Anthony Milas, a Baptist Pastor from Salem, New Hampshire] and other religious leaders say they are in the midst of a religious revival... Edmund Gibbs of the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., said similar revivals are occurring in pockets across the country... 'This is representative of a search for an authentic community and relationships,' said Gibbs. 'The younger generation [especially] sees their life in a world of uncertainty, and their spiritual search is a search for security, and authenticity.'

That search is taking many different forms, according to the Pluralism Project, which has been studying the diversity of religions in Boston. In its report, World Religious in Boston, the Harvard University-based researchers said that thanks to the immigrants who arrived in Boston in the late 20th century, '[the] religious life of Boston [is] far more complex and textured than ever before.'

The trend applies to the suburbs northwest of Boston, as well. In the past few years, such religions as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism have established roots in the region."